Reamer



Feb. 17, 1931I J. w. MvaccLATcHlE BEAMER Filed April 4. 1928 www? (ffm

Patented Feb. 17, 1931' 5 YUnir-nn slrarasA JOHN- MACGLATCHIE, 0F COMPTONGALIFORNIA BEAMER Application filed Aprilv 4,

This invention is, .a reamer particularly adapted for usein deepfwell drilling and pro- 1Siding cutter elements projecting 'beyondl the 0dr l5. the tool isrotated.

It is an object of the invention to employ suitable rollers: as` the cutting elements and* to so journal the rollersin the 'tool as to prevent them Wearing loose and Wabbling. l0. The cutter rollers are preferably mounted in, suitable bushings. which are; arranged'V in-V thebody ofthe. toch, and the invention providesv for adjusting these bushings so, as to, compensate, for all wear and'thereby` maintain la proper relationy ofl the parts..` l

Iftisanother object ofthe invention to provide for ready replentement of all parts which are. subject tor wear,k with washers; which are mounted between the cutter rollers. and the f ZQ- body of the toolf preferably included in. said readily replaceable parts and so mounted asv tohe held against turning in order that wear: ingestion, will effect thereplaceable washers rather than thebody of'ther toch n It."l a` further object of the invention to arrangethecntting elementsso as. to provide an initial Vtapering" cutting engagement for properly guiding the 4reamer in the. well, bore and. permitting movement, thereoflpast obf 3Dz structions and irregularities, and to, then provide a substantially cylindrical cutting engagement: for accurately reami'ng the well boreto true, cylindrical form.

A sti-ll further object of the invention is toi arrange1 the cuttingi elements in series axially beyond one.-anot1ierwith ther cutting elements of said series in circumferentially staggered relationr so that a., maximum circumferential,cuttingengagement is provided' 49 without, undue crowding ofthe next adjacent cutting elements: of the same se'ries.V

Itis a. still further objectv of the invention to providefor proper circulation of a. Wash.-

ing medium throu the reamer,v with a part 45 of tho circulating duid adapted for discharge in back of the cutting elementsso( esto avoid clog-ging of the-tool and insure a flushing, ac

tion immediately adj acent the points of. cut.- A 4 Y f fercntial'ly staggered relation forA insuring a tin vcontact;l w g t Y lgurthersobjects of the; invention will be ofthe tool for cuttingengagement when 192s. Serin inV aaai-7a readily understood from the following deffV scription of the accompanying drawings,'in `which Y Y 4 Fig, l' isa side, elevation of the tool, partly inv verticalsection. Y l

Fig. 2 is a; fragmentary side elevation looking- ,at the tool from a different angle as indicated by the. line 2`2 of Fig; 3; y

8 is transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l. i

Fig. 4 isa perspective view ofthe supporting pin.- and associated parts for one ofthe cutter elements.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in -a'tool having a body pilot end 2, Withthe body adapted for `con-` nection atits upper endlto a usuaLstring` of drill' pipe by means vof the threaded pin f8, and the pilot endl 2 preferably provided with a usual. tl'ireaded. box i `for connecting a bit or thelike.,

In` the present embodiment of the invention the reamen is shown as provided with twoseriesofA cutting elements axially spaced one beyond the other, and the body if is provided 75 with an elongatedannular recess,- for each Y seriesy oi" cutters, with said` recesses .5 an dI 6' axially spaced by an annular enlargement 7 Whichip-referably forms a, continuation of the outer periphery of the body ofthe tool.

The peripheral bases, of recesses 5 and 6 prefenably' form, iilat abutment surfaces'S in back ofthe respective cutter elementsand in the present instance each recess, is adapted to, receive threecut'ter elements and the body a5 of the tool is, therefore triangular in cross,- section at. the'y recesses in order to; provide a corresponding numbery ofI abutment surfaces. By limiting the number of` cutter elements in. eacli recess. they may beequidistantly circumferentially spaced Withoutl undue crowding, but in order to provide maximum circumferential cutting1 contact. with the wall of a wellboretlietrimgular cross-sectional areas v ofthe@ tool at recesses 5; and 6 are preferably 95 staggered with relation', to one another as shown in Eig, 3'7` so that the cutter elements of the axially spaced series are in circum,`

l and a. depending o5 The cutter elements are shown as rollers 10 provided with usual cutter teeth 11, and these rollers are preferably journaled on axial pins12 which are mounted in recesses 5 and 6 in spaced relation from the corresponding abutment surfaces 8 so that the cutter rollers are free to revolve with their peripheries projecting beyond the periphery'of the body 1 for cutting engagement with the wall of a well bore. y j

The pins 12 are held in place by extending into bores provided in the overhanging shoulders which are formed by the medial enlargement 7 and the end enlargements 1 and 1j at the ends of recesses 5 and 6, and in order that the pins may be readily replaced they are adapted for convenient withdrawal and insertion by extending the bores 13a for the upper ends of the pins of the respective series of cutter rollers so as to open through enlargement 7 and end enlargement 1a respectively. An adjustable mounting is provided for the pin ends in their bores in order to compensate for wear, and as an instance of this` arrangement the lower ends of the pins may be received in adjustable bushings 14 which are mounted in the corresponding bores 13b for the lower ends of the pins, and the upper ends of the pins may form adjustable bushings 15 seating in the bores 13a. Y

The bushings 14 and 15 may be adapted for radial adjustment in their corresponding bores by splitting the ends of the bushings as shown at 16 and forming the bushings of such resilient material as will permit of their ready radial expansion and contraction, andthe bushings 14 may be expanded by providing the same with tapering bores 17 adapted for wedging reception of corresponding tapered ends 18 of the pins 12, while the bushings 15 are preferably expanded by tapered plugs 19 adapted for threaded reception in correspending tapered bores 2O of the bushings.

By forcing the pins 12 downwardly into bushings 14 and threading the plugs 19 into bushings 15 the bushings may be expanded in their bores 13b-13a so that the pins 12 will be snugly held irrespective of wear of the parts. The cutter rollers 10 are thus adapted to revolve on their bearing pins Without Wabbling movement such as would otherwise result from the bearing pins working loose in their bores. To prevent wearing of the body of the tool by the ends of the revolving cutters, replaceable end thrust bearings are provided at the ends of the cutters, and in the present instance are shown as washers 25 mounted on pins 12 between the upper ends of the cutter rollers and the body of the tool, and washer heads 25a which form integral parts of bushings 14 positioned at the lower ends of the cutter rollers. In order to prevent rotation of the washer elements and thereby maintain all wearing action at the replaceable washers rather than at the body of the tool, the washer elements 25--25a are preferably provided with flattened sides 26 adapted for abutment against the flattened surfaces 8 for holding the washers against turning.

The reamer is preferably arranged for ini tial tapering engagement with the wall of a well bore for properly alining the tool and moving the same past any obstruction, and is then adapted for cylindrical cutting engagement to insure the formation of a. tru-e cylindrical bore. For this purpose the pilot end 2 of the tool may include a taper 30 which preferably terminates at its upper end in a Vtoothed peripheral surface 31 flaring outwardly slightly to form the periphery of body 1 at the base of lower recess 6, and the cutter rollers mounted in this lower recess are preferably angularly disposed so that their upper ends flare outwardly to define an annu lus which substantially axially alines with the annulus defined by the'rollers mounted in upper recess 5 and which preferably extend parallel. to the axis of the tool.

The inclined toothed surface 31 of pilot 2 affords means for guiding the tool past any obstruction, with the inclined rollers in recess 6 then providing a action for cutting away any such obstruction so that the parallel rollers in recess 5 may ream the well bore to true cylindrical contour, and the staggered relation of the rollers in recesses 5 and 6 provides a maximum cutting surface without crowding the rollers in their recesses. In order to provide the desired angular disposition of the cutter rollers which are mounted in lower recess 6, the boreslL-l?)b for the lower series of rollers are angularly arranged in the shoulders formed by medial enlargement T and the lower end enlargement 1", with the abutment surfaces at the ends of the recess 6 areferabl dis iosed at riOht anales tothe l 2': r3

angular bores as shown in Fig. 2, so that washers 25--250u will seat squarely on. the abutment surfaces and present fiat bearing surfaces for the revolving cutters.

rhe tool may be arranged for circulation of a washing` medium by providing an axial bore 40 in the body 1 and opening through its ends for communication with the bore of drill pipe or the like from which the tool is suspended, and in orderto insurea washing act-ion immediately adjacent the points of :cutting contact by rollers 10, lateral bores 41 preferably open from bore 40 into the recesses 5 and 6 in back of the cutter rollers so that the washing medium discharged therethrough will clear the rollers of cuttings and thereby avoid clogging action and will also provide a flushing action immediately at the points of cutting engagement by rollers 10. In order that the body ofthe tool shall not obstruct free circulation of the Washing medium` in the well bore, the end enlargements 11-1b and the medial entapering roaming ting Contact Without crowding of the parts..

Furthermore the invention provides for circulating a Washing medium Without being obstructed by the body of the tool, and With the fluid so discharged as to free the cutters of foreign material and insure aflushing action immediately adjacent the points of.

cutting Contact.

I claim: f l. In a reamer, a body having a bore, a

bushing in the` bore, a cutter assembly -in-` cluding and end supporting means mounted in said bushing, and means for radially adjusting the bushing so as to compensate for V2. In a reamer, a body having axially spaced bores, a bushing in one of said bores,

v a pin having one end mounted in said bushing with its opposite end forming a bushing -i mounted in the other bore, a cutter mounted on the pin between said bores, and means for radially adjusting said bushings in the Y bores so as to compensate for Wear.

3. In areamer, a body having a bore, a`

cutter element having an `end supporting means mounted in said bore and forming a split bushing, and means forradially adjusting-said bushing in the bore.

4f. In a reamer, a body having a bore, a'

split bushing in said bore having a tapers ing bore, and a cutter assembly includingy a tapering en d supporting means adapted for vvvedging reception in the bore of the bushing for expanding the bushing in tlieV bore of the body.

5. In a reamer, a body having abore, a bushing in the bore having an end forming a thrust Washer, a pin mounted in the bushing, a cutter rotatably mounted on the pin and abutting against the thrust washer, and

' means for radially adjusting the bushingso as to compensate for Wear.

6. Ina reamer, a body having a bore, an axially split bushing in the bore, and a cutter assembly including an end supporting means adapted for reception in the bore of the bushing.

7. In a reamer, a body having axially spaced bores, a bushing in one of said bores,

a cutter assembly including end supporting means, one of the end supporting means being mounted in the bushing With the opposite end supporting means mounted in the other bore, and means for radially adjustspaced bores, a split bushing in one of said bores,'said bushing having a tapering bore,

and a `cutter assembly including end supporting means, one of theend supporting means being adapted for Wedging reception in the bore of the bushing with the opposite end supporting means mounted in the other bore of the body.

9. In a reamer, a body Vhaving axially spaced bores, a bushing in one of said bores, a cutter assembly including end supporting means, one Vof the end supporting means being mounted in the bushing, the opposite end supporting means forming a bushing adapted for mounting in the other bore, and means for radially adjusting the bushings so as to compensate for Wear.

10. In a reamer, a body having axially spaced bores, a split bushing in one of saidV bores, said bushing having a tapering bore,

a cutter assembly including end supporting means, one of the end supporting means be.- ing adapted Jfor Wedging reception in the bore of the bushing, the opposite end support-ing means forming a bushing adapted for mounting the other bore of the body, and means for radially adjusting the last mentioned bushing so as to compensate for Wear.

Intestimony whereof he has aliixed his signature to this specification.

JOHN W. MAoGLATCI-IIE. 

